Every Family Has One (multi-chapter
by Aelia Weasley
Summary: It started at Molly and Arthur's wedding anniversary party.
1. Waiting for Mummy's Favorite

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"Daddy, where did Uncle Harry go?" Rose looked up at Ron with miniature versions of Hermione's caramel eyes.

"He's upstairs on the phone, Rosie. Don't disturb him. Where's your brother?" Rose shrugged and Ron looked up to search the room. A sea of the same shade of ginger hair filled the space. He and all of his siblings had it, along with most of the children. Only his nephews Fred, James and Albus and his nieces Victoire and Roxanne had escaped the bright red Weasley trait.

"The family curse." His dad jokingly called it.

The Weasley clan had come together at Ron and Hermione's new home to celebrate the 43rd wedding anniversary of its matriarch and patriarch. The house was more than large enough for the four of them, but Ron worried it would come apart at the seams when his family got together. Counting spouses and children, they now numbered 25. Charlie and his latest conquest were due to arrive at any moment, bringing the guest tally to 26.

Time hadn't erased the pain of his brother Fred's death. Family dinners were never the same and get-togethers like this one made everyone wonder who Freddy might have married and how many more little ginger kids there might be.

For quite a long time, Mrs. Weasley couldn't call her grandson by his name. She affectionately called him "the baby". The first time she actually called him Fred, everyone who overheard it jumped as if they had been doused with ice water.

Rose ran off to join her cousins in the living room. George, Bill, Percy and Arthur were half-watching the kids and half discussing a new Muggle instrument Arthur had been toying with - a computer. Still searching for Hugo, who liked to hide himself in smaller and smaller places just to see if he could, Ron ducked into the kitchen. He found his mum, Hermione, Ginny and his three sisters-in-law were all laughing and sipping glasses of wine as they prepared dinner.

Hermione had been up extra early to dress the two enormous turkeys and get them into the ovens. Ron didn't know exactly what else was on the menu, but he was willing to duel with any of his family members in order to get himself a drumstick or two.

The scent of the different dishes blended delightfully in his nostrils, making his stomach growl. He also completely forgot why he'd gone in there in the first place.

"Ron, what time is Charlie due?" Hermione asked him.

Ron checked his watch, "15 minutes ago."

Hermione pulled a worried face but Ron shook his head. "If _Percy_ is ever 15 minutes late for anything, we'll send out a search party. Charlie will get here when he gets here." He winked at Audrey who nodded. She appreciated Ron's slight crack at her husbands' anal retentive tendencies.

"What was that? Charlie's arrived?" Mrs. Weasley looked up from the stove, excited.

"No, Mum. Not just yet." Ginny said smiling and shaking her head. She and Ron shared a look that meant "Mummy's favorite". It wasn't exactly true. Their mum treated all of them the same; but because Charlie came home so rarely, on this night it was a little bit true.

It was then that the noises came. Just over their heads, lots of banging and stomping feet from above in the master bedroom.

"I've already told them _three_ times to keep out. I can't believe they've disobeyed again." Ginny fumed.

Louis, Fred and James were quite the trio of troublemakers. Ginny often thanked her lucky stars that Albus wasn't cut from the same cloth as her elder son. Albus had a bit of her wild spirit, but it didn't hold a candle to James' propensity for trouble.

"Harry! Bill! George! Your sons are at it _again_!" She hollered into the next room.

"Harry got a phone call, I'll go." Ron said. Before leaving the kitchen he put on his sternest "dad face" in preparation for scolding his nephews. The banging noises continued and got louder as Ron tapped George and Bill on the shoulders and gestured up with his thumb. His elder brothers shared knowing looks before clomping up the stairs behind Ron.

None of them saw James, Fred and Louis hiding in the linen cupboard under the stairs. Hugo had wedged himself up onto a shelf and was stuck. The three older boys were trying to figure out how to get him down and how not to get the blame for the littlest Weasley's predicament.

Just at the door of his bedroom, Ron paused and turned to his brothers.

"Wands or no wands?" he asked reaching into his pocket.

George scoffed. "Ron, you're an Auror. You really think the three of us need our wands to wrangle three harmless kids? Open the door, we'll cuff 'em around their heads and get them back downstairs, sorted."

"Harmless? They're _harmless_, are they? Tell you what Georgie. Next time those harmless little scamps get their buggery hands on some firecrackers and blow up a toilet, you're cleaning it." Bill said. The memory of just that happening at Shell Cottage at Victoire's birthday party was still fresh in his mind.

"Yeah..." George said remembering. "Quite a mess, that."

Their wands drawn, Ron swung the door open. They hollered all at once.

"Merlin's bloody beard!" Bill said.

"Oi! My eyes!" George yelled.

"Charlie! What the sodding fuck?!" Ron exclaimed.

The three of them hid their eyes but they'd already seen it. And what is seen, can never be unseen.

The second oldest Weasley brother was kneeling on Ron's bed in nature's own giving a right good "how's your father?" to a voluptuous witch with dark brown hair. There were piles of shed clothing strewn everywhere.

"Cheers, lads. Give us a minute." Charlie laughingly said waving his siblings out. Ron pulled the door shut, shuddering.

"Memory spell?" George joked holding his wand up to his temple.

"Not on, mate. Not on." Bill said, shaking his head.

"I can't believe-on my fucking bed!" Ron yelled, he still had his hand on the doorknob.

Charlie pulled the door open and grabbed his siblings by their shirts, pulling them inside. "It's so good to see you three!" he laughed.

_At least he's wearing pants this time._ Ron thought, relieved. He might not have felt so relieved if he realized that Charlie's pants had been inside-out on his pillow only moments before.

"Jess, these are my brothers. Well, three of them, anyway. Mates, this is Jessica." He gestured over to the witch who was pulling on a pair of white and pink knickers. She smiled graciously as she secured a matching bra, covering her ample assets. She gave them a casual, friendly wave before approaching them.

Ron, Bill and George gawked.

"It's so nice to meet you! Charlie talks about you all the time!" She hugged each of them and planted a kiss on their cheeks. None of them had the presence of mind to pull away thinking of where else her mouth might have been just before they got upstairs.

"What's going on in here? Jamie you're in for it-OH! Oh dear sweet sodding Merlin." Harry's eyes widened as he stood behind his brothers-in-law and gaped at Jessica's long, lean and nearly naked body.

"There he is! Harry!" Charlie yanked Harry past Ron by the arm. "Jess, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is Jessica."

"Erm- hello." Harry said, trying not to stare at anything that would make Ginny hex his eyes out if she knew.

"Charlie, I thought you were joking! You really do know Harry Potter!" She said, genuinely excited. She laughed and gave Harry a hug.

"Yeah, I told you so! Harry married our baby sister. But he was family long before that. He's like a...shorter...speckier...dark-haired brother." Charlie said, winking at Harry.

Completely unfazed by all of the eyes on them, Charlie and Jessica dressed. Ron was relieved that she wasn't wearing a low-cut top or a too-short skirt. He'd met quite a few of Charlie's girls and he knew how his mum would react if Jessica wasn't dressed more modestly. As she adjusted her top, Ron got a look at her face. She wasn't a conventional beauty like Charlie normally brought home. She had large light-brown eyes and curly brown hair...a lot like...

_She looks like Hermione._ He realized. He shot a sideways glance at Harry and instantly knew Harry had also noticed the resemblance. Ron's brain shifted into overdrive - did Charlie have designs on Hermione?

"Well, let's not keep Mum waiting!" Bill said, trying desperately to get back down the stairs. Everyone started to follow him out onto the landing.

"Oh, just a tick!" Charlie said, turning back to the bedroom. He waved his wand and the disarray cleaned itself up in a flash.

"Still might want to change the sheets, Ron." George said with a hardy laugh.

"Oh, sod off!" Ron said back.

As everyone else noticed Charlie they came running one by one to greet him. A large mountain of a man, Charlie scooped Dominique, Rose and Roxanne up off the floor at once. Mrs. Weasley ran into Charlie's arms and started to cry as they all expected she'd do. Even Mr. Weasley wiped a tear from his tired eyes when he gave Charlie a big bear hug.

He introduced Jessica around and everyone nodded approvingly at each other.

Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Where are the boys?" Harry shrugged.

"Before I got that call, they were sitting right there." Harry gestured to a empty sofa.

"Yeah, who was on the phone, by the way?" Ron asked.

Harry exhaled. "Dudley."

Ron looked surprised. "Your cousin, Dudley?"

"I don't hardly know more than one."

"Fair enough. What did he want? I didn't know you were in touch." Ron asked.

"We get together here and there. He's met Ginny and the kids. He's married, four of his own now."

"Four? Blimey." Ron's eyes bugged out. "What did he want? Just a chat?"

"No." Harry said grimly. "Petunia. My...mum's sister. She's dying, some kind of cancer or something."

Ron put a sympathetic hand on Harry's shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry, mate. She wasn't exactly nice to you but that's still too bad I guess."

"Yeah. She's...asked to see me."


	2. The Cupboard Calamity

The absence of the four boys went unnoticed with the excitement from Charlie's arrival. Harry heard James' voice coming from the cupboard under the stairs.

At first it gave him a shiver, but Harry smiled. His son, a carbon-copy of himself was living a completely different childhood than Harry had. James was truly loved and surrounded by others who were just like him. He would never feel like an outcast or burden on anyone. Harry's mind started to fill with the worst memories of living with his Aunt and Uncle but then he quickly remembered his conversation with Dudley.

"She wants to see you, Harry. Says she has something to talk to you about. Will you come?" Dudley's voice sounded nervous and sad.

When Vernon Dursley dropped dead of a massive heart attack just after Dudley's 30th birthday, it deflated him. He knew his father had faults; the way he treated Harry from infancy for one. But this giant tour-de-force of a man that Dudley feared, loved and admired seemed invincible, immortal. It never occurred to Dudley that one day; he could just collapse and be gone from his life forever.

He and Harry had kept in touch over the years and Harry had even brought his family to Dudley's home for several Sunday dinners. His Uncle barely acknowledged Harry. James and Albus took an immediate dislike to the rotund man with the walrus mustache. Aunt Petunia was her own sneering brand of cordial to Ginny and the children who had the good sense to be on their best behavior around their Muggle relations. The first time they got together after Lily was born however; Harry thought he saw his Aunt smile and even coo at the sleeping bundle in Ginny's arms.

The doctors warned Dudley that his father's excessive eating and lack of exercise were the main factors in his death and if Dudley didn't take care, he could suffer the same fate. It was the kick-in-the-trousers that Dudley needed. He lost so much weight so quickly, his wife Christina could hardly keep up. She'd tried taking his clothes in herself but gave up when Dudley shed 30 pounds within a single month.

Friends from Smeltings would never recognize this fit man as the Dudley Dursley they knew. Harry even commented that his former classmates could hardly call him "Big D" anymore.

The yelping and clattering coming from the cupboard broke Harry's reverie. He looked over his shoulder and everyone else was still gathered around Charlie and Jessica so he snuck over to the cupboard and pressed his ear to it.

"Give us a hand, Jamie!" Louis said.

"I can't! I'm look-out!"

"The door is closed, mate. Not a lot of looking out to do, is there?" Fred joked.

"Get me doooooown!" Hugo wailed.

Harry rapped his knuckles on the door and the voices fell silent.

"Boys, what is going on in there?"

"Nothing, Uncle, all is well!" Fred said.

_That's a load of bollocks, but good try._ Harry thought.

"Uncle Haaaaaaarry! Heeeeelp!" Hugo cried.

Harry tried to enter the cupboard, but the knob wouldn't turn. Still trying not to alert everyone else, Harry pointed his wand and whispered, "Alohomora". It didn't work.

He looked at the doorknob, discovering it was not the kind to lock at all. Something else was keeping the door shut tight.

"Jamie, why won't the door open?" He asked.

"I didn't do it!"

"Jamie, answer me."

"Well, Uncle Harry…" Louis began, clearly searching for the right words.

"Fred Arthur Weasley, what have you gone and done now?" Angelina was standing behind Harry.

"James Sirius, open that bloody door!" Ginny said.

Fleur's eyes hardened on the closed door and she began shouting at Louis in rapid French.

Hearing the commotion, Hermione had entered the living room and immediately knew. She shot Ron an irritated look, and exhaled, tossing her hair back before waving her wand casually.

_"Oppendium"_

The door flew open immediately and the three boys tumbled out in a pile. One by one they were grabbed up off the floor by their shirt collars and reprimanded by their mothers.

"Every time you three are in the same house, there's a calamity." Ginny glared at James.

"Honestly, Fred. Go sit on that chair and Merlin help you if you move before I say so." Angelina said.

No one knew what Fleur said to Louis, but the shade of green his complexion took on after she finished talking was enough.

Hermione entered the cupboard and found Hugo wedged into the very top shelf. He'd pushed the linens to the floor to make room for himself, but he was hopelessly stuck on something.

"Mummy am I in t-trouble too?" He sniffled. His eyes, the same bright shade of blue as Ron's filled with tears.

"Ron, he's in here again, I can't reach him." She called, sighing. Ron followed her voice and gave a sympathetic sigh seeing his small son's red face.

"Daddy, I'm s-sorry…" Hugo cried.

"It's ok. Give me a minute." Ron said soothingly. He took hold of Hugo under his arms and gave a small tug. The boy came free but his trainers stayed stuck to the wall. Hugo relaxed his head into Ron's shoulder and Ron rubbed his back.

"Mummy has told you not to go in there. You need to mind what we tell you, Hugo." Ron said rocking his upper body.

"I'm s-sorry! The door was open." Ron turned red.

Mrs. Weasley approached and held her arms out. "Here, my darling boy. Come give Gran a squeeze, she'll sort it all out." Hugo looked at Molly and reached out to her. He wrapped his arms around her neck as she took him.

George and Harry eyed Hermione, who still had an irritated look on her face as she looked at Ron.

"So, why wouldn't it open?" George asked, examining the inside of the door.

Ron sighed. "He hides. He climbs. It scared us half to death the first time he hid in there. Hermione put a brilliant spell on it that it couldn't be opened by anyone but her or me."

Hermione interjected, "And since _Ronald_ never remembers to actually close the cupboard door after he's been in there, that charm was basically a waste of energy."

Again, Ron turned red. He'd been the last one in there today. He fetched the tablecloths and napkins when Hermione asked him to help set the table.

"Ok, but what happened to his shoes?" Harry said pointing. Hugo's tiny trainers were stuck to the back wall of the cupboard.

"That was my idea. He…he fell off the shelf once. I thought if there was a sticking charm on the wall, he might get stuck, but at least he wouldn't crack his head open falling down again." Ron answered. "Accio trainers." Ron said with a flick of his wand. Hugo's shoes popped free and he handed them to his mother, who secured them back on Hugo's feet.

The drama of the cupboard over, the enormous family sat together in the dining room. There was plenty of elbow room thanks to Mr. Weasley's enlargement charm on the table.

A true feast fit for such an occasion, the menu consisted of roasted turkey (Ron managed to get two drumsticks, a rarity), roasted vegetables with Lancashire cheese, ginger carrots, creamed spinach, roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, goat cheese and new potato tart, small steak and kidney pies, rare beef Wellington (just for Bill) and a mixed salad.

Even Hermione and Fleur, the most petite adults at the table took a little bit of everything.

The desserts still in the kitchen, waiting to be enjoyed were gooseberry pie, a large Yorkshire pudding and blackberry & clotted cream shortcake.

Ginny clinked her spoon against her wine glass and stood, nodding to her brothers. "A toast: to Mum and Dad. You put up with the lot of us growing up; you showed us how to make everything out of very, very little."

Ron stood, "You taught us how to judge a person by who they are and not what they own."

George stood, "You gave us your support when we needed it most. And we learned the importance of family."

"You loved us, even when we made it very difficult." Percy said.

"Even though it wasn't easy for you, you let us follow our dreams." Charlie grinned.

"Beyond all that, you are the role models we can only hope to be for our kids." Bill added.

Arthur's chest puffed out with pride. He put his arm around Molly's shoulders and she wept into her napkin.

"If I may add something," Harry said, looking up at his brothers-in-law and Ginny. They each nodded their consent with earnest agreement. Harry considered his words carefully, fumbling with his own wine glass. "You were unconditionally kind to the awkward boy standing by himself at King's Cross. You didn't just show me how to get onto the platform that day. You showed me acceptance for the first time in my life. I'm very…very proud to consider you the parents I never had."

There were more than a few sniffles going around the table. Hermione and Angelina wiped streams of tears away on their napkins.

"To _Grand-mere et Grand-pere_!" Victoire said merrily and they all shouted a resounding "Cheers!" before the tinkling of glasses echoed off of the walls.

Jessica was a resounding hit with the eldest Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. She was sweet and charming, funny and very smart. George caught Ron's eye and wiggled his eyebrows at him when she was talking and Ron nearly had pumpkin juice spray from his nose. Bill and Harry saw it happen and they chuckled to themselves. If Mrs. Weasley knew what had been going on in the master bedroom, they could only guess what she'd have to say about it.

Conversation broke into little groups as tends to happen with such a large number of people sitting at the same table. Ron turned to Hermione.

"I'm sorry I forgot to shut the door again. That was my fault." He said.

She smiled. "Just try to remember next time. I think I have to change that charm on the door. It didn't occur to me that someone could actually get locked in the cupboard if the door shut behind them." She puzzled as she popped a slice of roasted potato into her mouth.

"Think of it this way, if they were locked in the cupboard, they couldn't be upstairs, breaking things. I think you should leave it the way it is and we'll just lock them in there when they come over." He joked, taking a bite off the drumstick.

She knit her eyebrows together. "That's right…if they were locked in the cupboard…what were those noises coming from?"

The tips of Ron's ears blushed. He casually nodded over at Charlie. She questioned him with her eyes. He gave her a look that meant "Think about who we're talking about."

"Oh you must be joking!" she said a little too loud. This time it was George's turn to almost spit out his pumpkin juice. Bill kicked him under the table.

"Not on our bed?" Hermione whispered. Ron grimaced and nodded.

"Well, just wait until we visit him in Romania. Two can play at that game." She said, taking a large sip of wine.


	3. There Are No Dragons in Devon

They relaxed after dinner in the parlor, digesting before dessert. Victoire was every bit her mother's daughter, fussing over Dominique and Molly's hair- playing at being more grown up than they were. Fred, Louis and James were whispering suspiciously and Lucy, Rose and Albus were playing a quiet game of cards. While Ron began what was surely going to be a quick victory against him at wizard chess, Harry told Ginny and the rest of the family about the phone call from Dudley.

"Your aunt's asked to see you? What the fuck does that old bitch want?" Ginny said. She was bouncing 4 year old Lily on her lap.

"_LANGUAGE_ Ginevra!" Mrs. Weasley shouted covering Hugo's ears with her hands. Ginny had long since retired from professional sport, but the way she talked sometimes made it seem like she were still in the locker room.

"Sorry, Mum. Don't say those words, kids." Ginny said looking around the room with a wink. James and Louis exchanged looks and smirked.

Harry shrugged at her original question. "I don't know. Dudley says she hasn't got long. I should go, shouldn't I?"

His question was met by conflicted faces. No one seemed to want to give their opinion.

"I don't see how it could hurt, Harry." Angelina finally said.

"She might want to apologize or something." Audrey offered.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Ron said.

Percy shot him a reproachful look. "Of course he should go - she's his family."

"Perce, you weren't there when we literally had to yank bars off his windows to get him out of the house. They treated him dead rotten." George answered for Ron.

"Let's not talk about all this unpleasantness in front of the children." Mr. Weasley said.

"Quite right, quite right." Percy said, trying to sound as if it were his idea.

"Charlie, tomorrow I thought we could take a look at that flat that opened up in the village," Mrs. Weasley said, changing the subject not very subtlely. "I think you'll really love it..."

Ron and Ginny looked at each other and playfully rolled their eyes.

"Mum," Charlie said gently "there are no dragons in Devon."

"But look at everything you're missing! You have all these nieces and nephews! The children don't know you! And who knows how much longer your father and I will be alive..."

_Good old Mum, laying the guilt on nice and thick._ Ron thought.

"Gran, I know Uncle Charlie..." Rose said innocently.

"Yeah, Uncle Charlie gives us sweets!" Lucy said, smiling a toothy grin.

"And firecrackers!" James said - and immediately turned red. Louis and Fred sunk down low in their chairs like they were trying to camouflage themselves.

"It was you?! You gave them the firecrackers?! They blew up my damn toilet, Charlie!" Bill said, angrily.

Charlie shrugged. "That's why I'll always be their favorite Uncle - I give them the stuff you won't let them have." He smilled at Bill.

"Yeah, well there's a reason we don't let them have those! The damage in our upstairs loo is the prime example." Bill said, still glaring at Charlie.

"Aw, come on Billy - in just a couple more years, they'll all have wands and they won't need firecrackers to blow shit up. Just laugh, it's not so terrible." George joked.

Fred sat up straighter in his chair. He was almost 11 and couldn't wait to get his hands on a wand when his Hogwarts letter came. He and Molly would both be joining Victoire and Dominique at Hogwarts in the fall.

"I don't remember you laughing when Fred hid all your pants in the freezer while we were sleeping." Angelina reminded him holding back a laugh.

"Well, I had to get to the shop to open up - it was a choice between not wearing pants at all or having my bollocks frozen off..." George said.

Louis caught Fred's eye, "Good one." He whispered. James nodded in agreement.

"Jessica, you're English - don't you wish you could move back home and be nearer to your family?" Mrs. Weasley asked hopefully.

Charlie squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. He put a hand on Jessica's in a consoling way. "She doesn't know, Jess. I'm sorry..." Charlie said to her.

Jessica smiled slightly, "It's fine, Charlie. I don't have a family, Mrs. Weasley."

Everyone looked at each other, then inevitably their eyes wandered to Harry.

Hermione had just pulled the Yorkshire pudding out of the oven, to her great relief, it hadn't fallen. She and Fleur reset the table for dessert and entered the living room in the middle of the awkward conversation that followed Jessica's revelation.

"I'm so terribly sorry, dear!" Mrs. Weasley was saying. Jessica smiled graciously.

"It's really fine, Mrs. Weasley. Don't trouble yourself over it." She said. Moments of silence ticked by, terribly slowly.

"So maybe we should have been talking about Harry's twat of an Aunt after all." George joked.

_"George!"_ Mrs. Weasley and Angelina yelled at him in identical outrage.

Calling them in for dessert, Hermione nodded to Harry in way that meant "Come talk to me." He nodded back, understanding her body language. He followed her into the mud room - although in truth, it was ill-titled for Hermione would never allow mud to exist in her home.

"Are you going to go visit your aunt?" she asked him gently.

"I don't know. I supposed I will, I mean...I might regret not going in the long run." He looked down at his feet.

"Do you want me to come with you? Can we do anything to help?" She put her hand reassuringly on his arm and he smiled.

"I don't think so, but thanks very much." He shook his head, smiling.

She puzzled at him. "Well, if you change your mind..."

"Thanks, Hermione. Really, I'll be ok." They hugged quickly and joined everyone else back in the dining room.

Although they had each declared themselves unable to eat another morsel, everyone enjoyed a bit of dessert and tea or coffee and soon it was time to say goodnight. They would be seeing each other a lot over the next few days, they always did during Charlie's visits.

Harry and Ginny had already planned on spending the night with their three, but Louis and Fred begged to be allowed to stay as well.

"Mum! Can I stay over too?" Fred begged.

"Freddy, we're all going to be together tomorrow anyway. Let's just go home." Angelina said.

"Yeah but, Jamie's sleeping here!" Fred said.

"Mum, may I stay too?" Louis asked using his most polite voice. Fleur looked at Bill, who shrugged.

_No fucking way._ Ron thought. _Come on, girls, don't let me down._

He was confident that his sisters-in-law would refuse but then much to his chagrin, Angelina said:

"Ask Aunt Hermione."

The two boys stared at Hermione with hopeful, pleading eyes. She was no match for them.

"I suppose it'd be all right. You can sleep down here in the living room." She said.

_Great. Triple Trouble spending the night. So much for the new house. _Ron thought. _So much for sleeping soundly, so much for the shag I was hoping for._

As his siblings and their spouses queued up at the fireplace, Ron ran upstairs and quickly changed the sheets on his bed. He didn't want to forget and lay his head down on a pillow that smelled like Charlie's bollocks.

"Don't forget what I told you about Aunt Ginny's Bat Bogey hex, Fred. She won't hesitate." George said with a wink.

"If you cause even a second of trouble, I'll let Uncle Ron string you up by your toes, Fred." Angelina warned as they were leaving.

"Louis, remember what I've already said." Fleur cautioned, helping Dominique with her coat. Louis blanched and nodded.

"Are you sure about this?" Bill asked Ron. "I don't think there's any way in hell I'd let them spend the night in my house." He laughed.

Ron shrugged. "Hermione already said yes. I reckon they'll be ok tonight. There's four of us here to wrangle them."

"Well, if Louis gives you any trouble, Floo us, we'll come grab him."

"Maybe I should learn French," Ron mused. "Whatever Fleur said, it sounded scary."

Bill nodded. "She yells at me in French and I almost wet myself. She might be part-Veela, but she's all business when she's roused."

"We all like strong women in this family, don't we?" Ron said, smiling.

"Arthur! The children need to get to bed! You can tell Charlie more about this interweb when we get home. Let's go!" Mrs. Weasley yelled into the kitchen.

Bill chuckled, "I wonder why."

Ginny and Harry took Hugo and Lily upstairs to bed; Rose and Albus both had sleep swirling in their eyes but they were fighting it. Only _babies_ fell asleep early, neither of them were willing to be counted in that category with their younger siblings. Fred, Louis and James sat very close together on the sofa, watching a program on the telly.

Percy, Audrey and the girls stepped into the fireplace and they all looked likely to fall asleep as soon as they got home. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Charlie and Jessica were all returning to the Burrow. Charlie was excited to show her where he grew up.

"You have a lovely home." Jessica said before they left. "Dinner was delicious, thanks so much for having me."

Hermione gave her a hug. "It was nice to meet you at last. We'll see you tomorrow."

Bill and Fleur said goodnight (Fleur glared a final warning to Louis) and they departed for Shell Cottage.

"Remember," Angelina said "the first bit of trouble and we'll come get him."

"Angie - come on, love. Roxie's going to pass out and I've got plans for you, Mrs. Weasley..." George said, pulling her towards the fireplace.

She rolled her eyes and kissed Ron and Hermione's cheeks before disappearing into the green flames.

"I had plans, too Hermione." Ron said, taking her around her waist and kissing her softly.

"I know you did. I'm sorry - maybe they'll behave." She said hopefully.

_Yeah, and maybe a hippogriff will fly out of my arse._ He thought. "Locking them in the linen cupboard is sounding better by the minute, isn't it?"

She giggled and turned to the boys. She knew they didn't maliciously do things, they were just kids.

"Anyone want some hot chocolate?" She asked them. They all happily nodded and Ron found himself nodding, too.

"Hermione?" Ginny called from the stairs. "Hugo's asking for you. I think he wants a bedtime story from Mummy." She smiled.

"I'll make the hot chocolate, you go ahead." Ron said, kissing her softly. "Ginny, do you want some hot chocolate?" he asked.

"Sounds good, Harry probably will, too. He's in the loo. I'll help you." She said.

Hermione went into Hugo's room finding him and Lily already in his bed, each cuddling a plush toy. It was simply adorable how well they got on. Only a year apart, the youngest of the bunch never rowed.

"Mummy, can you read us a story?" Hugo asked, sleepily.

"Of course, darling." Hermione replied.

She puzzled at all the books in Hugo's room. She could tell they would be fast asleep before she finished a whole story, so she picked up a book of nursery rhymes that was once her own. Hugo liked to fall asleep hearing the sound of her voice, more than the actual story she was reading.

She read a few pages of nursery rhymes and watched Hugo's eyelids flutter until he was asleep. Lily was a tougher customer. She liked princess stories but she looked tired enough that Hermione kept reading.

"Listen, this is a difficult rhyme, I swear - what is a rhyme for porringer?' She read.

"Bloody nothing." Ron said quietly from the door. Hermione smiled and winked at him. Ron snuck in on tip toes and put his hands on her shoulders, massaging.

"Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey. along came a spider and -OW, Ron!" She yelped. He squeezed her shoulders really hard at the mention of the spider.

"Why are you reading them scary stories?" He asked her.

She pursed her lips together and began again. "Along came a...butterfly, who was perfectly nice and Miss Muffett happily shared her lunch. The End." Hermione said, teasing him. "That better?" She asked closing the book.

"Yep." He said taking the book from her an putting it back on the shelf. "Hot chocolate's ready, come on."

Hermione leaned over and kissed Hugo and Lily before she followed Ron out of the room and closed the door.


End file.
